Lara
Lara was exhausted. After she arrived at the dwarven hub, she rode day and night to reach the
elven capital. The horses were prepared in advance, so she would just jump on a fresh horseand ride on. Her arse was killing her. But she was finally in the elven capital, waiting to besummoned by the most powerful elf in Velas.Lady Sif was sitting at her desk. Lara wondered why the unusual ones always strive for power
the most. Thea Sif didn't look like an elf. With slightly darker skin, much shorter in staturethan any elf Lara knew, and rich dark hair, she could easily pass for a human. Even her eyeswere unusual. Instead of the blue or green eyes that most elves had, hers were brown. She hada perky nose, small and dignified. Her only feature that was typically elven were her ears,long and pointed. And a cold determination in those deceitfully warm eyes. Lara wasabsolutelyPresent timeHe started again with just a crumb of magic. A tiny piece of raw energy danced in front of him, waiting. He reached for it and tried to disassemble it into its original parts. It resisted. Once complete it did not want to cease to exist. Nio tried harder and harder. It seemed so easy that night by the campfire, but without the anger that fuelled it, dismantling the synergy proved to be a difficult task. He threw it on a nearby tree, and the tree was gone. Destruction was easy. He tried again.In the meantime, almost everyone returned to the hideout. Only Ia stayed in Canestor to oversee the transportation of the goods and to wait for their signal, but Jon came back, Lara came back, and Ghtraht came and went. It was obvious to everyone that Shieena and the war chief had grown closer. Even Jon admitted to Nio that he was happy for both of them. He was still a little je
High shamanAfter sending shamans to kill Shieena and the other Tei woman, the high shaman retreated to one of the northern temples, out of reach of the southern war chiefs. He now sat in the main room of the temple and listened to the reports. Not only did the shamans fail to kill the women but they botched the auxiliary plan also. Shieena was almost in his grasp but still managed to escape. To make matters worse, one of his would-be assassins pointed the finger at him, publicly. The day really couldn't have been worse. Except it got worse. His shamans were killed and expelled everywhere in the south, and the last straw was the blood feud that targeted him personally.He was furious. The audacity of these simpletons, challenging his spiritual guidance. Northern war chiefs started to gather around him. More simpletons. What he needed was a quick and decisive attack. But looking at thei
Present timeNio met with the war chief of the Mui tribe. There were eleven large lakes and four larger rivers in his lands. His people had by then already received the food from the dwarves and famine had diminished, but those supplies would not last forever. The war chief banned fishing throughout Mui because Nio needed to inspect several live specimens. They reached the first lake surrounded by hundreds of goblins waiting for a miracle. Nio felt a rush of anxiety. He had been very confident in himself until now, but now, as all those goblins watched, his confidence turned to fear. Still, from the outside he remained calm and cool.He approached the shore of the lake and one of the goblins pulled out a fishing net. Within the net were three species of fish and a pair of crabs. He asked the goblin to submerge the net back in the water and ordered everyone around him to move away. Very far a
Velas north hubQueen Nioob paced up and down the room. The first meeting with lady Sif was successful. Not only did she agree to provide safe passage through her lands, but she offered her elves to move food to Mui land. Furthermore, she offered elven supplies and help if needed. Nioob had a strange feeling that if she asked for Sif's dress, she would take it off in front of her and give it to her. She didn't like it. Elves usually did not care about other races. Sif wanted something, something big. No, Nioob didn't like it at all. For a moment she wished Lara was here. Lara always had a flawless nose for lies and deceptions. Nioob was supposed to leave the day after the meeting, but Thea Sif requested another audience. Nioob was sure that Sif would then show her true face. Apprehensive, she waited.The two women met again. After the initial pleasures, lady Sif became direct.Her ton
Present timeBefore they headed back for their base, Nio healed the wounded. There were a lot of them. He ordered them to be left on the battlefield and healed them all in one fell swoop. Friends and foes alike. He didn’t have much experience with healing and life magic, but he instinctively knew what to do. His exercise in the hidden valley taught him so much about synergy that he felt that the smaller elements were just toys for children. He reached out and established a balance in each of them. It was that simple. Lately, it seemed to him that he was looking more and more with his mind, not his eyes. Everything around him was just energy. Like when you try to make out the trees in the distance from the bottom of a waterfall. Due to the sheer amount of water you can’t actually see the trees, just the shapes. Still, you know they're there. And you know what they look like. The sh
Present timeThe rain outside his window embraced the world in a blurred mist. Thousands of lost souls pouring their tears onto the land, crying for a way back. Just like him.Grabbing the worn grey cloak from the bed, Nio headed for the door and descended the narrow wooden stairs.It was early morning and yet the central room of the inn was still full of people. Old, half-rotten beams creaked and squeaked menacingly but no one seemed to mind. Smoke clouds drifted through the room like ripped and torn patches of fog.Nio headed for the nearest empty table, but before he could reach it a small woman slammed into him and a pair of pleading eyes looked up just as an empty jug flew through the air, aiming for her head.The small creature was a goblin, no
Velas and Malfer, a long time agoOnce upon a time Velas was a land like any other land in Raal. The sun would rise in the south and lazily crawl to the north. And once the ever-fierce globe disappeared beneath the tall north mountains, lush green forests all over Velas would wake up from their slumber, growing and giving life.On sapphire coloured meadows the proud elf cities stood, tall and beautiful. Almost as beautiful as their builders. Almost. Few were brave enough to set out into elven lands. For thousands of years they thrived, while their might and hardened silver weapons repelled all invaders.Then came the disease. The bright-eyed silver-skinned warriors turned into bloodthirsty monsters. Almost a third of the population succumbed to this new illness. The monsters hid in the dark and waited for night in search of their next meal. They were hunted at every turn, but it wasn’t enough. Nights became a source of fear, menacing and u
Present timeHe had the same nightmare again. He was falling. The sky grew smaller and smaller until only darkness remained. And somewhere in the distance, he heard her voice. And her laughter. Nio opened his eyes. The bitterness in him receded and the echo of Thea's laughter grew quieter and quieter. His thoughts turned to Teria'n. The very thought of him made him growl with hatred. He took a deep breath to calm himself and smelling roasted meat he turned his head."I hear your stomach from here": Shieena said smiling.A big rabbit was roasting on the fire and the woman cut a piece and handed it to him. While Nio was eating, the little goblin took the rest of the rabbit off the stick and cut it. She divided the meat into two parts using large fleshy leaves as plates, took a smaller part to herself, and laid the rest in front of the elf."How did you get the slingshot? Considering you were a prisoner.": Nio asked curiously."The sl
Present timeBefore they headed back for their base, Nio healed the wounded. There were a lot of them. He ordered them to be left on the battlefield and healed them all in one fell swoop. Friends and foes alike. He didn’t have much experience with healing and life magic, but he instinctively knew what to do. His exercise in the hidden valley taught him so much about synergy that he felt that the smaller elements were just toys for children. He reached out and established a balance in each of them. It was that simple. Lately, it seemed to him that he was looking more and more with his mind, not his eyes. Everything around him was just energy. Like when you try to make out the trees in the distance from the bottom of a waterfall. Due to the sheer amount of water you can’t actually see the trees, just the shapes. Still, you know they're there. And you know what they look like. The sh
Velas north hubQueen Nioob paced up and down the room. The first meeting with lady Sif was successful. Not only did she agree to provide safe passage through her lands, but she offered her elves to move food to Mui land. Furthermore, she offered elven supplies and help if needed. Nioob had a strange feeling that if she asked for Sif's dress, she would take it off in front of her and give it to her. She didn't like it. Elves usually did not care about other races. Sif wanted something, something big. No, Nioob didn't like it at all. For a moment she wished Lara was here. Lara always had a flawless nose for lies and deceptions. Nioob was supposed to leave the day after the meeting, but Thea Sif requested another audience. Nioob was sure that Sif would then show her true face. Apprehensive, she waited.The two women met again. After the initial pleasures, lady Sif became direct.Her ton
Present timeNio met with the war chief of the Mui tribe. There were eleven large lakes and four larger rivers in his lands. His people had by then already received the food from the dwarves and famine had diminished, but those supplies would not last forever. The war chief banned fishing throughout Mui because Nio needed to inspect several live specimens. They reached the first lake surrounded by hundreds of goblins waiting for a miracle. Nio felt a rush of anxiety. He had been very confident in himself until now, but now, as all those goblins watched, his confidence turned to fear. Still, from the outside he remained calm and cool.He approached the shore of the lake and one of the goblins pulled out a fishing net. Within the net were three species of fish and a pair of crabs. He asked the goblin to submerge the net back in the water and ordered everyone around him to move away. Very far a
High shamanAfter sending shamans to kill Shieena and the other Tei woman, the high shaman retreated to one of the northern temples, out of reach of the southern war chiefs. He now sat in the main room of the temple and listened to the reports. Not only did the shamans fail to kill the women but they botched the auxiliary plan also. Shieena was almost in his grasp but still managed to escape. To make matters worse, one of his would-be assassins pointed the finger at him, publicly. The day really couldn't have been worse. Except it got worse. His shamans were killed and expelled everywhere in the south, and the last straw was the blood feud that targeted him personally.He was furious. The audacity of these simpletons, challenging his spiritual guidance. Northern war chiefs started to gather around him. More simpletons. What he needed was a quick and decisive attack. But looking at thei
Present timeHe started again with just a crumb of magic. A tiny piece of raw energy danced in front of him, waiting. He reached for it and tried to disassemble it into its original parts. It resisted. Once complete it did not want to cease to exist. Nio tried harder and harder. It seemed so easy that night by the campfire, but without the anger that fuelled it, dismantling the synergy proved to be a difficult task. He threw it on a nearby tree, and the tree was gone. Destruction was easy. He tried again.In the meantime, almost everyone returned to the hideout. Only Ia stayed in Canestor to oversee the transportation of the goods and to wait for their signal, but Jon came back, Lara came back, and Ghtraht came and went. It was obvious to everyone that Shieena and the war chief had grown closer. Even Jon admitted to Nio that he was happy for both of them. He was still a little je
LaraLara was exhausted. After she arrived at the dwarven hub, she rode day and night to reach the elven capital. The horses were prepared in advance, so she would just jump on a fresh horse and ride on. Her arse was killing her. But she was finally in the elven capital, waiting to be summoned by the most powerful elf in Velas.Lady Sif was sitting at her desk. Lara wondered why the unusual ones always strive for power the most. Thea Sif didn't look like an elf. With slightly darker skin, much shorter in stature than any elf Lara knew, and rich dark hair, she could easily pass for a human. Even her eyes were unusual. Instead of the blue or green eyes that most elves had, hers were brown. She had a perky nose, small and dignified. Her only feature that was typically elven were her ears, long and pointed. And a cold determination in those deceitfully warm eyes. Lara was absolutely
Present timeNight crept towards them. Ghtraht was nowhere in sight so they began to discuss the finer points of his plan. Because Shieena was determined in her decision to marry the war chief, only one problem remained. Nio and the fish.But Jon mentioned another potential problem: “Even if Nio somehow manages to fill their lakes with fish, who says the disease won’t come back? As far as we know, it could still be in the water."Shieena nodded in agreement, but Ia interrupted her: “Actually, I can. And before you cut off my head, let me first say, it all happened during the reign of the old king. Nioob was quite furious when she found out. The king was looking for a way to get rid of the goblins permanently. Nioob told you about the bomb, but that wasn’t the only thing our scientists were developing. Some ten, fifteen years ago, one of our underground la
TheaThea was nervous. Her plan was unfolding too slowly and she was afraid she was running out of time. Her efforts to build the largest army in Raal were constantly hampered and even thwarted by idiotic sorcerers who did not know their place. Sometimes she wondered if it was all worth it. But then she would look at her son and all doubt would disappear. She would burn entire Raal if it meant her child was safe. Still, she had to do something about the rectors of the academies. If she managed to subdue the members of the high council, a few academic idiots shouldn’t pose a problem. But they did. She was bombarded with their letters, over and over again, demanding an explanation of her need for so many of their students in the Velas army. And then yesterday the bastards banded together, refusing to give more of their students. She had killed so many elves who had opposed her in recent y
Present timeAs they mounted their horses, Jon suggested a replacement plan: “Maybe we could start asexual revolution. Teach goblins about sex. Once they get to know the pleasures of the body,they may be preoccupied with sex and stop fighting the dwarves.”Nio and Shieena laughed, but Ia and Lara looked confused. Getting the green light fromShieena, he set out to explain to the two women about goblins and sex. It could have been alonger conversation, but at that moment a large goblin emerged from the bushes and blockedtheir way.He was big for a goblin. His olive body was mottled with red paint, and half of his face waspainted black. Unlike most goblins, he had a full set of hair, shaved at the sides and tied in athick, long braid. Even his hair had red streaks of paint on top. He held an impressive weaponin his right hand. And a very unusual weapon for a goblin. It looked